This song shook me tonight. It brought me to tears and opened up my heart. The songs of an old hymn sung in sunday school is used to express human suffering and the hope of glory simultaneously. It is such an appropriate expression of what happens with truth meets our circumstances, finished out with the opening lines from “It is well with my soul”.

It especially hit home with me because of a teaching I heard called “God with us” found here. Tim opened up the nativity story along with the rest of the second chapter of the book of matthew in a way that I have been blessed by the Lord to have heard.

Basically, Jesus did not take any shortcuts in his life here. He was born to a poor working family, He moved all over the place in his first years of life- under the stress and anguish of running for their lives-and grew up in a nobody town called Nazareth. His father died before he was 30- probably much earlier. And ultimately, he came to his own, and they didn’t even recognize him. He was a man, as the prophet Isaiah said, well acquainted with sorrows. We learn what the angel Gabriel meant very quickly in the book of matthew, when he said he would be Immanuel (God with us).

In short, God is with us- in our suffering. He was rejected for our rejection, He crushed for our iniquities, He was pierced for our transgressions, and He let it crush him so that it couldn’t crush us…

And He rose from the dead so that we could have hope and life in Him. This song has brought all this before me and caused me to weep in the presence of the one who truly understands when we cry and suffer and fumble towards Him. And because He is all that He says He is, and greater than we will ever understand, we can somehow have joy and peace in the midst of our suffering. Hallelujah.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hopefully in time I’ll get into the habit of blogging regularly, I just wanted to take a moment and say what a joy it was tonight celebrating Sukkot with a few brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Father and God gives us so very much, and this season is all about thanksgiving, gladness, and celebration of God’s good gifts and grace.

We have most importantly received the promise to enter into the rest of our wonderful messiah Jesus. My prayer for anyone who reads this is to take this season to receive joy from our King for all the good He gives us without price, an eternal and abundant life! So be thankful, grow in the grace He’s supplied you, and multiply God’s harvest to His glory.

The first time I read Psalm 45, I was overcome with tears. The psalmist speaks out of pure inspiration, beholding the majesty of the most handsome of the sons of men… This psalm is quoted in the first chapter of Hebrews, declaring this psalm to be about THE King of heaven and earth, Jesus. Dear Christian, look at your King. Sit with this Psalm and take in the details. Have you ever had suspicions that Jesus is really stoic? Its a great tragedy that humanity ever believed the lie that God was not good. It could also be counted a tragedy that we have somehow reflected the religious attitudes of the pharisees onto our Lord. This psalm declares to us of all generations that God the Father has poured out the “oil of gladness” on Jesus more than on any other person. Jesus is GLAD, another translation says “of joy”… Let this clear up for good any notion you had that the King we worship isn’t filled with joy or that we could feel more joy than our creator!

My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;I address my verses to the king;my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men;grace is poured upon your lips;therefore God has blessed you forever.3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,in your splendor and majesty!

4 In your majesty ride out victoriouslyfor the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!5 Your arrows are sharpin the heart of the king’s enemies;the peoples fall under you.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.Therefore God, your God, has anointed youwith the oil of gladness beyond your companions;8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia.From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:forget your people and your father’s house,11 and the king will desire your beauty.Since he is your lord, bow to him.12 The people[b] of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,the richest of the people.[c]

13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.14 In many-colored robes she is led to the king,with her virgin companions following behind her.15 With joy and gladness they are led alongas they enter the palace of the king.

16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons;you will make them princes in all the earth.17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

I’ve been advised to blog for a while now, and I’m excited to finally have a place to do it… I’m Jacoby. I’m someone who has been given a new life in Jesus, and it’s been a remarkable thing to walk out. I’m thrilled to have somewhere to share what I’m learning. I hope I can grace anyone who reads this blog with something that you can take home with you… Anyways. More posts to follow when I’m not going to bed.